Colorado Rockies / MLB

Rockies feel cursed after missed chance

The Padres' Luis Rodriguez, top, celebrates with teammate Brian Giles after Rodriguez's game-winning single in the ninth inning Sunday against the Rockies.
(Lenny Ignelzi, The Associated Press
)

SAN DIEGO — The screamed expletive rang so loudly from the hallway that reliever Taylor Buchholz paused during his interview in the clubhouse.

He was in the middle of discussing how the Rockies managed to lose 2-1 Sunday to the last-place San Diego Padres, dropping a critical series as the window of opportunity threatens to slam on their fingertips.

He talked about hanging a curveball to Luis Rodriguez that the pesky shortstop rifled into right field to produce the winning run in the ninth inning.

But the single curse word from an anonymous Rockie provided the most eloquent explanation. A team that fashions itself as a contender can't lose this type of game. A team with aspirations of holding a state's attention again in October can't waste Jeff Francis' best outing.

A team can't rally against the game's most accomplished closer ever and then suffer a crowbar to the shins from a 28-year-old utilityman claimed off waivers.

The Rockies sit six games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks with 24 remaining. The deficit felt much bigger as Colorado squandered back-to- back opportunities, letting a rookie pitcher slither away Saturday and failing to execute in a critical eighth inning Sunday.

"Every loss is difficult when you're running out of games," said manager Clint Hurdle, whose team begins a stretch of 15 of 18 games at home today with a Labor Day matchup against San Francisco.

"Today is hard because your starting pitcher battled a guy with more electricity, but no more efficiency," Hurdle added.

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Francis and Hurdle agreed that the left-hander has never been better this season. He located his four-seam fastball with thump and changeup with precision. Throw in a curveball against left-handers, and the Padres offered little resistance against Francis, touched only for a single run in seven innings.

"I don't normally put a fastball by anyone, and when I did I stuck with it," Francis said. "But it felt like I was coming off the field and going right back out there. (Jake) Peavy was fantastic."

Yet when the eighth rolled around, Peavy's power and glower — he finished with a season-high 13 strikeouts — were beginning to dim. Troy Tulowitzki singled — and a mess followed. First, pinch-hitter Willy Taveras failed on three consecutive sacrifice bunt attempts, the last his own call with two strikes.

"I still thought I could get it down," Taveras said.

Scott Podsednik subsequently missed a hit-and- run sign, leaving Tulowitzki easily erased at second base. A promising rally turned sour, a poignant failure given the run they scored off Trevor Hoffman in the ninth, his first blown save since the all-star break.

A forgiving division has left the Rockies in the race. But all they got Sunday was another loss and a red face.

"There are no excuses. I missed the sign," Podsednik said. "We feel like we are still in it. We have to look to win every series, and maybe even sweep a couple. There's no way around it. Every game is critical at this point."

TODAY: Giants at Rockies, 1:05 p.m., FSN

Jorge De La Rosa (7-7, 5.60 ERA) appreciates the patience the Rockies have shown in his rotation audition. He feels stronger at this point in the season than he ever had during his career. His key, he said, is the stride in his delivery. When he consistently hits the right spot with his plant foot, he commands his fastball and unleashes a nasty back-foot slider to right-handed hitters. Jonathan Sanchez (8-9, 4.53) returns from the disabled list for the afternoon matinee. Sanchez has a 7.13 ERA since the all-star break with no wins in five starts.